by Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports

by Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports

MIAMI - The MVP didn't play like one for a half, and the team with the best record in the league was slowed by a team that is barely ambulatory and just finished a grueling seven-game series on Saturday.

The Chicago Bulls, with their grinding style led by coach Tom Thibodeau, pulled off a stunning 93-86 upset of the top-seeded Miami Heat in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Nate Robinson's 19-foot jumper with 1:18 gave the Bulls an 88-86 lead, and his driving layup with 45.5 seconds remaining put the Bulls up 90-86. LeBron James, who was presented with his MVP trophy before the game, shot an airball with 29.8 seconds left.

Robinson played the hero instead of James. He scored Chicago's final seven points, and Miami missed its final five shots, though Ray Allen's three-point attempt with five seconds left had no impact on the outcome.

The Bulls reduced the game to a possession-by-possession struggle, which is what they want. And it is the only way they can play - and win - with so many players out and hurt.

Robinson (25 points, nine assists) and swingman Jimmy Butler (21 points, 14 rebounds) continued their strong play. Butler played all 48 minutes for the third consecutive game -- 144 out of 144 minutes -- and made the four-time MVP James work for every point and assist.

"The thing about Jimmy, he's going to work the whole time. ... He's a tough kid," Thibodeau said. "He's mentally tough, and that's what we need him to do right now. We're shorthanded. We have a number of guys playing big minutes, and that's what we did."

James scored just two points on 1-of-6 shooting in the first half.

"I was just trying to make everything difficult for him," Butler said. "With the caliber player like him, there is really no stopping him. It's all about containment. Along with my teammates, we tried to make everything tough on him."

"He was like, 'Take up his space. Make everything tough for him. Challenge every shot. And of course, no layups.' ... Lu's going to rest up and we want him back," Butler said. "Until then, I guess I'll be stuck guarding (James)."

James recovered in the second half, scoring 22 of his of team-high 24 points in second half, including 15 in the fourth quarter. But it was not enough.

"No excuses for time off or anything else," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We're up four, regardless of how we played, going into the fourth quarter, and give them credit because they exploded for a 35-point quarter in the fourth. Obviously, that's not going to get it done in the playoffs."

The Bulls outscored Miami 35-24 in the fourth quarter and shot 52.6% from field, including 3-for-5 on three-pointers, and held the Heat to 42.1% shooting and 1-for-6 on threes in the final 12 minutes.

It's way too early for panic in Miami. The Heat were down in each of their final three series on their way to last year's championship -- 2-1 against the Indiana Pacers, 3-2 against the Boston Celtics and 1-0 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

"This is what the playoffs are all about," James said. "We're going against a really good team and we know that so we'll prepare tomorrow and get ready for Game 2."

The Heat didn't pick up where they when they eliminated the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 4 on April 28.

The rest vs. rust debate - a topic for the Heat during an eight-day layoff - turned into a factor immediately. While the Heat wanted rest, they were anxious to play a game, and the time off in conjunction with the Bulls' outstanding defense disrupted Miami, especially on offense.

Miami shot 26.3% in the first quarter and 33.3% in the first half and was 3-for-13 on three-pointers in the first half. James was 1-for-6 for two points, a new playoff halftime low in scoring for the four-time MVP. Chris Bosh was 0-for-4, and Shane Battier and Mike Miller were 2-for-10 on three-pointers.

"We wanted to defy the odds and not come out sluggish, but we did" said Heat guard Dwyane Wade, who had 14 points on 7-for-16 shooting. "We came out and a lot of our shots hit short. ... The Bulls came in and grinded and won it. We had our opportunities and aren't going to use the seven days off as a crutch."

The Bulls know how to play â?? and beat â?? the Heat.

During the regular season, Chicago was 2-2 against Miami, beating the Heat once on the road and once at home. The home win on March 27 ended the Heat's 27-game winning streak. Also, Miami is 41-3 since Feb. 3, and two of those losses were against the Bulls.

But still, the Bulls limped into the series.The Bulls just won on the road in Game 7 against Brooklyn, and now they won on the road in Game 1 against Miami.

"Going into each series and each game, you're always faced with different challenges," Thibodeau said. "For us, it was the quick turnaround. For the Heat, (it was) the layoff. It's how quickly you could adapt to whatever challenge is in front of you. We've been hit all year with a lot of different things. I like the mental toughness of our team."

Chicago limited the best-shooting team in the league to 39.7% shooting, including 29.2% on three-pointers. The Heat were 10 percentage points better from the field and on three-pointers during the season.

"Our offense wasn't as fluid and as efficient as it normally is," Spoelstra said. "You have to give credit to their defense for that. They take you out of the first couple of options. We can show more poise and patience and aggressiveness to play through that."

It was the kind of game the Bulls favor. Their masterful defense prevented the Heat from running in transition and running away with game. Expect the Bulls to replicate that as much as they can. It is also a testament to Thibodeau's coaching schemes and his ability to plug any guy into the lineup and barely suffer.

Even more remarkable, Chicago beat Miami without guard Kirk Hinrich, who has a bruised left calf, the hospitalized Deng, and of course point guard Derrick Rose, who hasn't played this season but won't rule out a possible return.

Robinson has been surprisingly effective in place of Hinrich in the starting lineup. He scored 34, 20, 18 and 12 points in the final four games against Brooklyn and started this series with an unstoppable finish. He also required 10 stitches on his upper lip when he smashed his face on the floor diving for a loose ball with James. He spit out blood and went to the locker room for a shot to numb his lip and stitches.

"He's about as confident as they come, and that's the thing that makes him good," Thibodeau said. "If he misses a shot, he has a very short memory. He always thinks he's hot. He's never afraid. He'll step in a big situation. He has the courage to take and make.

"He got knocked around a little bit, a couple stitches. It's all good. Get out there and get it done."

Nothing less is expected from a Thibodeau-coached team. Get out there and get it done. The Heat knew that coming into the series.

"No matter who's in uniform, they're going to play Chicago Bulls basketball," James said an hour before the game. "It's what Thibs has built since he's been there. They have a no-excuse mentality no matter who's in the lineup."

Thibodeau walked away from Game 1 sounding like the losing coach.

"Like I said, this is just one game. We're going to have to play a lot better in our next one," he said. "We have to make our corrections. â?¦ There are things defensively that I know we have to clean up."